The Sunshine Blogger Award

I have been nominated by the wonderful Shanyu at Sui Generis for the Sunshine Blogger Award! Shanyu writes fantastic poetry rich in symbolism, and also blogs about food. A recommended read for all foodies and poetry lovers!

The Rules

• Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to their blog so others can find them.
• Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you.
• Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 new questions.
• Notify the nominees about it by commenting on one of their blog posts.
• List the rules and display a Sunshine Blogger Award logo on your post and/or your blog site.

Questions for me:

1. What is your favorite book quote?
   This is a really difficult choice, as I have many, but I’m going to choose the famous final lines of James Joyce’s masterpiece of short fiction, ‘The Dead’:
   Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling on every part of the dark central plain, on the treeless hills, falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, farther westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. It was falling, too, upon every part of the lonely churchyard on the hill where Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly drifted on the crooked crosses and headstones, on the spears of the little gate, on the barren thorns. His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.
2. What is your favorite shade of blue?
   The blue of Lake Bled on a sunny day!
3. Who is your favorite music artiste?
   Nina Simone, for the raw power and emotional urgency she brought to every single one of her performances.
4. Which is the most touching book you’ve ever read?
   Again, it’s impossible for me to choose just one, but I finished reading For Whom the Bell Tolls recently in floods of tears: the fragility, beauty and wonder of life encapsulated in a story about the Spanish Civil War.
5. Which is the best poem you have ever read?
   Impossible choice! I love so many poems for so many different reasons. But one I keep coming back to, because it aligns so well with my own beliefs about life and death, is Wordsworth’s Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood
6. Greece v/s Italy?
   In what sense? I would have to say Greece because I studied Bronze-Age Crete for my MA in Classics and I fell in love with Homer’s Rose-fingered dawn.’ But Italy is great too!!
7. Coldplay v/s One republic?
   Coldplay.
8. Which is your favorite pasta dish?
   Something simple, like pasta with aglio olio e peperoncino: garlic, oil and peppercorns: classic Italian.
9. The kindest words someone has ever spoken to you?
   ‘You’re the best mum in the world.’ 🙂
10. A question you would want to ask Adolf Hitler if he was still around?
    I wouldn’t dignify his abhorrent beliefs by asking him any questions.
11. Your favourite work from Edgar Allen Poe?
    The Masque of the Red Death: I love the descriptions of the different coloured rooms and the believable terror of this story: in fact, I think I need to re-read it as I haven’t read it for years – thanks for the question!

My nominees:

1. Voyage of the Mind
2. i serendip
3. I can show you the world
4. Serene Life Consulting
5. The Grey Clover
6. Findlay Vaux
7. Abra K Deborah
8. The Unsigned Writer
9. Bustling Mind, Blank Verse
10. JoJo’s Cup of Mocha
11. Nanchi.blog

My questions for you:

1. When did you start writing?
2. What are your writing goals?
3. What do you prefer to read, factual or fictional writing?
4. Do you prefer poetry or prose?
5. Do you prefer short fiction or novels?
6. What is your dream holiday destination?
7. How would you spend your last day on earth, if you could chose to do absolutely anything?
8. What is your favourite song?
9. Do you use social media to promote your writing and if so, which platforms?
10. Have you ever written a book, or do you plan to (please provide details)?
11. Large hotel or small guest house: which do you prefer and why?

Congratulations to all of my nominees! If you decide to accept the award, please provide a link to your post in the comments below so I can read your answers.

Have fun!

In other exciting news: Benji’s Very Big Blog is now live! Please check it out and give him a follow as he’s new to WordPress 🙂